Lock fob



1. soKoLov AND E., F. WIENEKE.

Loox Fon Auomomus..

APPLICATION FILED IIAYN. 192|. Y

` P atente Nov. 28, 922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I -fmnnemsn ).SOKOLOV AND E. F. WIENEKE.

l LOCK FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPucATlon min Muzi, 192g.

Patented Nov. 2 8, "1922.

n um /0 l. l /a` Patented Nov. 28, 1922.

UNITEOSTATES PATENT OFFICE..

JACOB SOKOLOV AND ERIC F. WIENEKE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGA, ASSIGNORS TO DEFIANCE LOOK CORPORATION, or MICHIGAN.

Application filed May 27,

To f/ZK whom z'- may @Oncern Be 1t' known that we, JAooBSoKoLov and Func F. VVIENEKE, citizens of the United States, and residents of lDetroit, county of 5 Wayne, and -State of Michigan, have invvented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Automobiles, ot which `the following isa specification.'` l' Our invention relates more lparticularly to a locking device, associated with the planetary gear steering mechanism oi. a Ford machine, means being provided vfor disconnecting the steering ywheel,so that it may be rotated independently of the steer ing post, and thereby prevent unauthorized operation of the machine. The object of ourimprovement is to accomplish this by means of a slidable clutch member, the positionV of which maybecontrolled by a gear member or other suitable device, operated or rotated by the key barrel of the ordinary Yale type of lock. Another obj ect is to provide a safety l-ockingl means for holding the clutch member in engaging or operative position, thereby preventing accidental displacement when the key is in the lock, and the steering wheel is connected for turning the steering 1oost. A Another object is to provide a hardened steel disc covering the end of the'key bow, so as to eii'ectually protect the key barrel from being bored out, and this disc is preferablyv rotatable independently of the key barrel, thereby making it impossible 'for anyone to exert pressure in the key barrel by the insertion of a tool or device into the exposed key slot. i

AAnother object is to thoroughly protect 40 the lock and associated parts by making thc housings of hardened steel forgings, so-

as to be capable of resisting a cold chisel,

hack saw or other implement, that may be used in attempting to obtain access to the locking mechanism.

The cover cap part ofthe housing is preferably secured to the ygear boX part by a lockingA screw. lwhich is so located as to A be inaccessible, except when the clutch member is -in operative position, and the various elements of the locking device and clutch operating members are secured or held in proper positions by pins or screws Aaccessible DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF LOOK Fon AUTOMOBILES.

192,1. serial No. 473,199.

ronly from `the inside of the hardened steel cover cap. l

In other words, it will be seen that we have devised and constructed a substantially fool-proof and burglar-proof automobile steering wheel locking device and provided the mechanism with every means possible to prevent destruction of the mechanism or the access thereto by unauthorized persons;

AOne form of our improved automobile steering wheel locking'device is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l represents a vertical cross-section or our improved automobile lock with the clutch member in vinoperative position, the section being on the line 1 1 of Fig. 6; Fig; 2 is a similar vertical cross-section with the clutch member in operative or clutching position, the section being onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 3; F ig. 3 is a top plan view in horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a horizontalcross-section on the line 4 4 of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a side elevation with a portion shown in section on the line 5 5 of Fig'. 3; Fig. 6 is another sidel elevation at.` right angles to the one shown in Fig. 5, with a portion of theoasing in section on the line 6 6 otFig.- l; Fig. vZ is asectional `view on the line 7 7 of Fig. 3 showing the screwfor locking the cover cap to the gear housing; Fig. 8 is a detail sectional view on the line 8 8 of Fig. 3, showo ing the connection Vbetween the key barrel andthe gear member; Fig.V 9 is a sectional detail view on the line 9 9 of Fig. 3, showing the pin for locking the key tumbler in position and Fig. 10 is a perspective View of .the hardened steel key slot protecting disc.

Referring to the drawings, l represents the upper .end of the steering column, in which the lusual steering` post Q, is adapted to rotate, for steering the wheels. l The upper end of the steering column lis provided with a gear box or-,housing 3,- in whichrthe usual Ford planetary gears are mounted. The ,inner periphery of the gear box at 4 is provided with internal gear teeth meshing with pinions 5, rotatably mounted upon the `flanged head or block 6, whichisconnected to and Icorms` apart of the steering post 2, as is usual in the Ford type of steering mechanism.`

tance above the upper plane of thepinions The'piiiion7 'is mounted upon a'stub shaft 8,`rotatably' mounted inthe block6,"f

as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Grdinarily the steering wheel isf-comy nected directly to the central pinion7, but in our device, as will be vseen in the drawings, the upper small end 9Y of lthe stub shaft, integral withthe pinion7enters a socket10, the lower, end an integral pinion 11 and stubshaft 12, the two pinions eing in axial alignment and provided with the same number of teeth.` The stub shaft 12 isturne'd4 down so that the pinion 11 thereon forms a shoulder against which we preferably mount a liange collar 13, against which the hubl: of the steering wheel 15 may be clamped `by thenut` 16, as indicated Fig. 1 of lthedrawings.` The flanged collar 13 passed through' a hole in the upper end of the hardened steel cover casing 17,

the flange ofthe collarholds vthe steering wheel'andpinion forv rotation kin vfixed relation to lthe pinion 7, whichas previously stated'is in mesh with the planetary pinions-15. M We preferably mou'ntfupon the pinion 11, a clutch memberlS, whichmay be provided with internal gear teeth, corresponding with i and adapted to slide Aon the gear teeth of the pinions 11 and 7, whereby the two pinions may be clutched together to rotate in unison when the clutch member 18 is the position shown in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, and disconnected so that the upper pinion, in connection with the steering wheel, may be rotated independently of the vpinion 7, when e the clutch member 18 is in the position shown'in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Ashereinbefore stated, the housing 17 is preferably f madev of a steel forging and hardened, so.

as to make vit impossibllefor it to be (le-- stroyed or broken into by ordinary tools or appliances. i

TheA` casing 17 is preferably provided with a" lateral extension 19,j as indicated more particularly in Figs. 1 and 3 ofthe draiwin,f fs,` which is bored out at 20, the axis ofthe bore extending at right'angles to ythe axis ofthesteering column. At one end of the housingl extension 19,y the bore 2O is closed except. for the hole 21 through the casing,-r in' whicl iy we preferably locate a ii'aned slotted disc 22. shown in perspective in Fig 10 Of'uife drawings; This (use is vpreferably made .of special hardened steel.

` so, 4s te efectuallyprotect the' keyI` slot'r and i keffbarrel against destruction by drilling orrpotherwise, and preyent tampering with the lock.l The flanged 2 2, is Y slottedat 22y for the key and is vfreely and i'ndependw ently rotatable in the hole 21, and the flange i 23 thereof is adapted to fit over the bosslike projecting key end of the, keybarrel 24, as indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the key 25 being here represented as inthe key barrelh.y v w 1' w Within the' cylindrical 4boreV 20. offthe eX- tension 19, and adjacent the partially closed endther'eof, we preferably mount the usual tumbler barrel or member 26, through which the key barrel or bow 24 passes, the tumblers 27 being spring pressed in the usual well-known manner for Yale locks, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 9 of the drawings.

The keytumbler member A26 is` preferably member` 29,` which, near* one end at 30, is

provided with gear or pinion teeth, adapted to meshr with gear teeth 31, formed onthe clutch member 18, by annular grooves thereon, so Vthat the clutchy member'f18 maybe freely rotated while-remaining in mesh with the geargteeth 30, as indicated in Figs. .1 and2 ofthe drawings. The gear member 29 is rotatably mounted in the cylindrical bore 20, and .is preferably provided with a slot or groove) 32,v indicated in Figs. `1, 2

and 3 of the drawingsinto which the inner end of a screw 33 projects for locating and holding the gear member 29v in fixed relation in the bore and to the clutch member 18,V while, at .the same time7 permitting` rotation of the gear member `2 9 for shifting the clutch member 18, as previously described. Tlie'screw 33, as will ber seen in Figs. 1V and 2 of the drawings, is preferably inserted from the inside of the` cover ca`p17 of` the housingso.thatthe screw is inaccessible from the outside and cannot be tampered with unauthorized persons,

` The cover cap 17 is preferably secured to the` gear box portion off the housing by i screw threads at 34,'as indicated vin Figs. 1 and `2 of thedrawings, and order to prevent. unauthorized removal o f the cover cap 17 by unsciewing thesarne from the gear box 3, we. preferably provide a locking screw 35, as indicated in 7 of the drawings; the screw" `35 lenterirrg a hole in the flange 36of the cover cap y17,`the hole being a blind hole drilled. downward from the top of the cylindrical bore extension 19,a`s`ind 1I cated at37, in Fig. of the drawings, It will be seen that the'gear member 29 is also provi-ded with ii hole38,f`which isoi` center and adapted to coincide or line up wit-h the hole 87 and the screw 35, when the gear member 29 'is in the vposit-ionindicated in Figs. 2, 3 and- 7, which is the position in which the clutch member 18 is in engagement with the steering post pinion 7 and the key 25 is in the lock and turned counterclock-wise, as viewed in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. Itwill thus be seen that the screw 35 will be inaccessible from the outside` of the casing or housing, when the clutch member 18 is free to rotate independently of the steering post, or in other words, when the steering wheel disconnected and linoperative for steering purpose.

The gear member 29 is adapted to be rotated in the bore 20, by means of the key barrel 24, which, at its inner end adjacent the member 29, is provided with a slot .at-39,

as indicated in Fig. 8 of t-he drawings, which receives a transversely extending pin 40, eX- tending across van annular or collar-like f member41, provided witha-radially extend ing tooth or finger 42, as indicated 1n F1g.`8

of the drawings. The finger orftooth 42 is adapted to'extend into a slot 43, formed by slotting a projecting lug 44 onthe end of the gear member 29, as indicated in Figs. 3, 6 and 8 of the drawings. By this arrange ment it .will be seen that, while the key barrel 24 and gear member 29 are rotatable about different'iparallel axes, they will be be rotated in unison, by means` of the toot-h 42 and slot 43. The gear member 29 is required to rotate only about one-third of a complete rotation, the amount of rotation being indicated by a comparison of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

In order to provide a safety means for preventing accidental release of the steering wheel by a movement of the clutch member 18 and gear member 29, we preferably provide the latter with a safety locking pin 45, mounted in a blind hole 46, and spring pressed radially vof the gear member 29 by a spring 47, as indicated 1n Fig. 5 of the drawings.` Vhen the gear member 29 1s rotated to the vposition shown in Figs. 3 and 5 of thedrawings, the safety locking pin 45 yis adapted to enter a hole 48, in the cylindrical wall of the casing vextension 19, and therebylock the gearl member 29, and hence the clutch member 18, against accidental displacement from the position shown in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings. In order to provide means for releasing the safety locking pin 45, the'housing cover cap 17 may be preferably` provided with another-lateral extension 49, counter-bored at right angles to the bore 20, which contains the gear member 29. v'lh'ehousing extension4 49 is counter u bored at 50, substantially largerthan and in axial alignment with the hole 48, which is adapted to cooperate with the locking pin 45,

when the gear member 29 is in the position shown inFig. 5 of the drawings.

In the counter-bore 50, there is preferably mounted a spring pressed key member 51, turned down at 52, to provide an annular groove, through which a retaining pin passes, as indicated in Figs. 3 and 5 of the drawings, to limit the movement of the key member 51. The pin 53 is preferably inserted from the underside of the casing 17 f as indicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. The key member 51 may be held outward against the pin 53 by a spring 54, pressing against a shoulder of the key member at and against the bottom of the counter bore' 50, t-he spring surrounding a stem 56, which is of the same diameter las the locking pin 45 and adapted to limit the outward movement of the latter, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. Fromthis, it will be seenkthat by pressing on the key 51, the stem 56 thereof may be thrust inward against the pressure of the spring 54 (and spring 47) and release the locking pin 45 from the hole 48, so that the key 25, when turned counter-clockwise in Fig. 5 may rotate the gear member 29 in the reverse direction to move the clutch member 18 upward and free the` pinion 7 thereby permitting independent rotation of the steering wheel.

The gear member 29, as previously described, is held in proper relation to the other cooperating parts of the mechanism by the screw 33 in the slot 32, and the cylindrical bore 20, in which the gear member 29 is rotatably mounted is preferably closed, at the left end, as indicated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, by a disc 57 of a suitably hardened metal the disc being inserted in a counter bore 58, so that excessive pressure on the disc 57 will not aifect the movement of the gear member 29 or other part-s in the bore 20.

It will thus be seen that we have provided a locking mechanism for the steering wheel of the automobile, made of such materials and in such a way that it cannotvbe tampered with when the clutch member 18 has been disconnected and in position for free rotation of the steering wheel independently of the steering post, at which time the Yale key 25 should be removed from the lock.

yFrom the description which has' already been -given it will be understood that the operation of our device is comparatively simple, the key 25 being inserted into the key bow or barrel 24, through the slotted hardened disc 22 and turned clock-wise `(counter-clock-wise as seen in Figs. 1 and 2) the gear member 29 will be rotated by means of the connecting member 41-42 to move theclutch member 18 downward from the position indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, to the position indicated in Fig.

2 of the drawings, thereby permitting steer in by the steering wheel in the usual way. Wlien the gear member 29 is turned to the position shown in Figs. 2 and 5 of the drawings, the locking pin 4:5 is adapted to enter the hole 48 and lockthe gear member 29, and hence the key barrel 24 in the position indicated in Fig. 2 ofthe drawings, with the steering wheel in operative connection for `ordinary steering of the wheels, the locking pin 45 bein effective for preventing accidental disp acement of the clutch 18 or locking'member 29. When it is desired to free the steering wheel. for prov tection purposes, the safety key member l (see Fig) is pushed inward, the lkey stem 56 thereof being adapted to unlock the gear member 29 by pushing the locking pin 45 inward, and then the Yale `key may be rotatedin the opposite direction to move the gear member 29, together with the clutch member 1S, back to the position indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings; `thereby freeing the steering wheel, sothat any rotation thereof will be incapable of effecting steerinoof'the wheels. When in this position, ale key 25should be withdrawn. They key barrel, and gear member 29 will `be held in that position, shown in Fig. 1, by the key tumblers 27 operating inthe lusual manner and no unauthorized person `to be limited tothe specific construction shown for various modifications in the specific details may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim e Y Y1. A steering Wheel locking .and releasing device, comprisingk a stub shaft, to which the steering` wheel is secured, a second" stub shaft carrying a pinion and connected by intermediate pinions with the steering post, said stub shafts being in axial alignment, a,clut`ch member slidably mounted thereon for uniting the two stub shafts4 for rotation inunison, saidclutch member being movable to a position for disconnecting the second stub shaft, whereby the first stub shaft andthe steering wheel may be rotated independently ofthefsteering post, annular gear teeth on saidclutch member and a rotatable gear member in fixed relationtheret'ofan'dn cooperating with said annular..` teeth for operatingsaid clutch member.

2. A steeringI wheel'flocking and releasing i.

to cooperate with.v the gear teeth of `said, clutch member for moving the same, a screwv for locking said cover cap` to said gear box, and means whereby said screw is vaccessible through the cover cap only whensaid gear member is in a ,predetermined position.

3, A steering wheel locking and releasingy device, comprisingla gear box secured.

tothe upper end of thesteering column, a y

cover cap adapted to be secured thereto by a screw threaded flange," a clutch `member within and movable longitudinally of the axis of said cover cap y and provided with annular gear teeth, thereby permitting-the clutch member to be rotatedwith. the steering wheel, a gear member mountedin alateral `extension ofthe cover cap, the axis of said gear member 'extending at right angles to the axisof said. clutch, a key barrel for rotating said gear member, a screw 1n the threaded flange of said cover cap, for locking the cover cap to the gear box in place, and means whereby said screw may be operated only'when the key is vin the key barrel and the latter, together with said.

gear member is rotated to a predetermined position. i v

il; A steering wheel locking and releasing device` comprising avgear box on the upper end of the steering Y column,a cover cap secured thereto by a screw threaded flange, a stubshaft mounted in the upper end of said cover cap, a flanged bushing'mounted on said stub shaft, saidstub shaft being provided with pinion teethy against which said flanged bushing isv adapted to rest, means for securing a steering wheel to said stub shaft and clamping it against said bushing and aclutchl member provided with inf Y ternal teeth cooperating with the pinion teethon said stub shaftanc. mounted' for'- I sliding movement thereon. v i y `5. A steeringwheel locking and releasing device, comprising a gear box on the upper end of` the steering column, `a. cover cap secured to said gear box, a pair of stub shafts in axial alignment with' the steering post, one of said stub shafts extending through said cover-cap vand to which the steering wheel' is secured, a clutch member slidably mounted upon'said stub shafts for securing the same together, `annulargear `teeth on saidclutch'member, thereby permitting the latterto be rotated -withfthe steering wheel, a gear member rotatable in fixed relation i able and rotatable clutch member movable axially of said steering column Within said cover cap, said clutchvmember being provided With annular gear teeth, a lateral extension for said cover cap provided With a cylindrical bore the axis of which is at right angles to the axis of said clutch member and the steering column, a gear member mounted in said bore and provided With teeth adapted to cooperate with the annular gear teeth of said clutch member, a key .tumbler mounted in said cylindrical bore and connecting means between said key tumbler and the gear member, whereby a key inserted in the key tumbler is adapted to rotate said gear member.

7 A steering Wheel locking and releasing device, comprising a gear box on the upper end of the steering column a cover c ap secured thereto, said cover cap being provided With a lateral extension bored out atl right angles to the axis of the steering post,

a clutch member mounted Within said cover cap and adapted for longitudinal movement axially of said steering column, said clutch member being provided with annular gear teeth, thereby permitting it to rotate with the steering Wheel, a cylindrical gear member rotatably mounted in said lateral extension bore, said gear member being in constant engagement with the yannular gear 'teeth of said clutch member, means for holding said gear member Within the bore in fixed relation thereto, but permitting rotation thereof, said means being accessible only from the inside of said cover cap.

S. A steering Wheel locking and releasing device, comprising a gear box on the upper end of the steering column, a cover cap secured thereto, said cover cap being provided ivith a lateral extension bored out at right angles to the axis of said steering column, a clutch member slidably and rotatably mounted in said cover cap and provided vvith lannular gear teeth, a gear member cooperating with said annular gear teeth and in constant mesh therewith, rotatably mounted in said bore, means for holding said gear member in fixed relation within said bore but permitting rotation thereof, and means for closing the end of said bore to prevent access to said gear member.

JACOB SOKOLOV. ERIC F. WIENEKE. 

